


The Likelihood of a Bee's Patella

by UrbanHymnal



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 01:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UrbanHymnal/pseuds/UrbanHymnal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of unrelated 221b fills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Border

Roughly thirty centimeters divides them and in that divide there’s a tension that sits unpleasantly. It’s a line of demarcation. Sherlock shifts. He swallows around first one sentence and then the next, each one aborted before they can get past his lips. Silence has never bothered him. It’s been his constant companion for as long as he can remember, but this stony, hateful silence is intolerable. John has not spoken for the past hour. His back is a rigid line, and though he tries to present an military-sharp appearance, his left shoulder dips ever so slightly. Wrong. Even when John is in pain, he keeps the shoulder up as if he is trying to prove to the world that nothing can knock a Watson down for long. Sherlock licks his lips and gnashes the inside of his cheek between his teeth. Dinner sits cold and congealing on the table in front of them; he has eaten more than John.  Again wrong. John should be the one poking away at Sherlock to eat more.

What is the correct thing to say? What will breach that erected wall without leading to full out war?

“I’m sorry, John.” He rests his hand on the sofa cushion palm up, a peace offering, still safely within his own boundary.

John sighs and tentatively crosses the border.


	2. Bathtub

Note: John has worked the past three days after coming off of a case.

Note: John has a tendency to tense up his muscles when tired.

Note: John’s shoulder bothers him more when he tenses up.

Deduction: John will come home from the surgery in thirty minutes. He will be tired, cranky (sixty-five percent chance-- higher if he skipped lunch; odds dependent upon patients; revise: flu season, chance of foul mood raised to ninety-five percent), and aching.

Course of action: Comfort John. State of kitchen cannot be remedied in thirty minutes. The solution will have to be found elsewhere.

 

John pushes open the door with his right hand; his left arm is tucked against his side. His shoulder is bothering him more than usual. Ah, careless parent letting stupid child hit John.

“Er. Sherlock, why are you in the bathroom?”

John can be forgiven for being slow today.

“Bubbles, John.” No need to extrapolate. It should be obvious to anyone.

“Right. Bubbles. Of course. Um. Why?”

“They are for you.” Again obvious.

“You drew a bubble bath for me?”

“Yes. The water is getting tepid.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

He continues to stand there. Why? He is wasting precious time. Oh. Of course. Shy. Solution: Out the door. Wait to hear the sound of John’s sigh as he settles into the bathtub.

 


End file.
